Milton Keynes may be a new town but it is steeped in ancient history.
Over the years, as more and more land has been prepared for development, there have been numerous fascinating archaeological finds - some of which are now held in the British Museum.
Evidence of settlements dating back to Roman and Medieval times have been uncovered, as well as stashes of treasures including early gold coins.
For an insight into the history of MK, read on.
1.
A Roman Villa was discovered when the new estate of Bancroft was being built in the early 70s. Clues had already come after fragments of Roman pottery were noticed in the banks of nearby Loughton Brook in 1967. The area was carefully excavated over the next 15 years to reveal the villa's underfloor heating system with a limestone open hearth, a bath suite, colonnaded verandas and porch and an ornamental walled garden with fish pond and a summerhouse. Among the Roman artefacts uncovered were Samian tableware, a limestone board game, silver-bronze brooches, decorated hair combs and around 1,000 coins Today the site shows the outline of the villa and its rooms. You can discover it by visiting Bancroft in North Loughton Valley Park.
2.
A mosaic floor excavated from the Bancroft Roman Villa was extracted, pieced together and mounted for posterity on a wall overlooking Queen's Court at the centre:mk.
3.
The Romans arrived in England in AD 43, taking the country by storm. One of their early settlements was along the old Roman road, now Watling Street, in Fenny Stratford. This was called Magnavinium and is thought to have included a small fort.
4.
In AD 60, warrior Queen Boudicca, leader of the Inceni tribe, challenged the Romans by marching her army through the country, burning towns and slaughtering thousands of people. She met the heavily armed Romans just south of Towcester and after being wounded, fled the scene and turned south down Watling Street towards Magnovinium, (Fenny Stratford). But she never made it, and died of her injuries at a small group of hamlets near Newton Longville, and a house was named 'Dead Queen Cottage' in her honour. A nearby farm still bears that name today. Photo: Getty Images